Limited Supply

The boys are back in town, and this season, they’re spicing things up a bit.  This time around, Nik and Moiz are tackling all the biggest questions you have from their time in D2C, and giving you a few pointers from their biggest takeaways.  In this ep, Moiz is dishing on his greatest lessons in manufacturing with his time at Native Deodorant—from the Chinese manufacturers who make American facilities look like dog shit to the contractual terms you should be looking out for before signing. Plus, the guys dish on what kind of inventory your business should be stocking and explain why you should be aiming for 3 to 4 turns of inventory per year. And stay tuned as they dive into the world of 3PLs, and discuss the importance of having a solid line of communication with any CEO. Tatari has turned TV advertising into digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising- giving marketers a competitive edge and clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

You know that little feeling in the back of your throat that makes you feel emotions towards someone else?  Yeah— it’s called empathy, and True Classic’s CEO, Ryan Bartlett, is here to explain why it's the one thing that will distinguish your D2C brand from the rest of the crowd.  Nik and Moiz talk to Ryan about the importance of empathy in company culture, how he fosters that mindset daily within the walls of True Classic Tees, and why hiring emotionally intelligent people is critical to negating workplace toxicity.  Ryan also unveils his playbook for hiring powerhouse players— and spoiler alert— it doesn’t involve recruiters or running ads. So, lay off the LinkedIn for a bit, bucko, because, according to him, the best employees probably aren’t even looking for jobs. Time to go poach some Grade A eggs! Plus, find out why growth and valuation are simply a high-stakes game of EBIDTA and retention, and what True Classic is doing to perfect their model.   0:00 Guess That Business 12:00 True Classic & Ben 19:52 Creating a Great Culture 33:30 Becoming More Creative 40:15 Going Viral 42:00 The Hiring Process 53:00 Mr. Sharma’s Hiring Process 1:00:00 Growth and Valuation 1:10:31 Mobile App Metrics Check Out True Classic Tees:  Website: https://www.trueclassictees.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueclassic/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trueclassic Follow Ryan:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbtct/ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

This week, the boys are breaking down a few of the most disruptive grey hat marketers in the industry, including the case of an imitation mayonnaise company that was buying its own product and stashing it in warehouses, the bone broth brand beefing up its D2C sales through Instacart, and the merits of using guerilla marketing to mess up the retargeting pool of Facebook ads.  Don’t hate the player… hate the millennial marketer trying to game the system. Plus, Nik and Moiz tackle the rise of TikTok’s newest shop feature and explain which brands are crushing the organic advertising game.  Then, they delve into Shop Pay’s announcement that it’ll be offered outside of Shopify and discuss the woman waging her own odyssey against Amazon Prime’s manipulative tactics.    0:00 Intro/Guess That Business 10:26 TikTok Shopping 27:38 Creative Thinking 43:00 Shop Pay 49:17 Amazon FTC Complaint   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

What happens when an online pharmacy starts committing insurance fraud?  This week, Nik and Moiz are breaking down the scandal behind the now-defunct company, The Pill Club— and it’s a good one. Then, is Apple Vision Pro dumb, really dumb, or just naturally designed for the citizens of San Francisco and Silicon Valley who can’t travel without their double monitors? And speaking of Apple— why is the latest edition of iOS attempting to kill tracking parameters?   Plus, find out how the guys would structure a marketing department for businesses of different sizes, and later, stay tuned for Moiz’s brilliant business plan involving loads of liquids, essential oils, and Whole Foods.   0:00 Guess that Brand 13:40 Bed, Bath and Beyond 17:00 The Pill Club 28:40 Apple Vision Pro/iOS 17 38:00 Structuring a Marketing Department 49:15 Moiz’s Business Idea   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

What the heck is Singles Day? And how can your business take advantage of it? Nik and Moiz are talking all things shopping holidays— Prime Day, Singles Day, Shop Day— and what you should be doing with them in order to maximize your sales.  The guys also get into a debate over which furniture store is the biggest of the Pottery Barn brands, what analytics tools are most useful when it comes to analyzing your site’s metrics, and which post-purchase upsells you should be taking advantage of.  Then, stay tuned while they try to decipher what a “people-powered pharma with a decentralized structure where people can buy love tokens with Ethereum or another reserve currency for homeopathic and other pharmaceutical alternatives” actually sells...   Yeah, someone needs to be fired for that one.   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

What’s got Nik so amped up about cutting company costs this week?  That’s right— it’s that time of year again for the Commerce Summit, and Nik’s sharing his greatest takeaways from the annual convention, including why you should always outsource jobs without any upward mobility, why gross revenue is truly irrelevant, and how often you should be doing a company audit.  Then, the guys are tackling some shit— including how Temu’s managing to sell such cheap shit using cutthroat shipping and manufacturing tactics and why awards like the Shook List and Susan G. Komen list are full of shit.  Yeah, shots fired, Susan. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Shitty pro-life tip #1: Create more friction for your customer returns.  Shitty pro-life tip #2: Sometimes, it takes doing a lot of illegal stuff accidentally, to find out what’s legal as a DTC brand.  This week the boys are diving into the world of prescription regulation and DTC brands, why the HBO Max rebrand is dumb AF, and how Amazon’s starting to push in-store returns… As it turns out, too many returns aren’t so great for business— who woulda thunk? Plus, did Ulysses S. Grant love to fight because of all of the Molly he was on? Yeah, things take a weird turn in this ep… This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Who’s got Nik ready to commit murder today? And what’s Trump got to do with it? First, the boys start off playing another round of “Guess This Business” with a publicly traded company out of Dallas that’s valued at over $130 million before Nik delves into what exactly is making his blood boil this week (hint: it’s someone who’s great at bloodsucking).  Then, the guys discuss the fast fashion industry and whether or not sustainable fashion actually exists.  Plus, stay tuned to hear Nik’s advice on the importance of providing social proof of your product and when exactly the best time to recruit influencers to promote your product is.    This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited 0:00 The Agenda/Guess This Business 10:30 ADA Lawsuit 13:10 AI Chatbots & Compliance  19:35 Shein & Chinese Fast Fashion 25:58 Nik Plays Big Brother 37:04 Shopify Fulfillment Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Make money with those mommies. This week, the boys are diving into the mommy blogger revolution and talking about the secret formula to D2C mommy blogger success, including how the implosion of their perfect life only makes their brand grow stronger. Plus, Nik and Moiz discuss the politics of selling D2C marijuana in New York and how Olipop just pulled a Kendall Roy by dropping a press release bomb.  But first, can Nik crack Moiz’s mall riddle?    0:00  The Riddle of the Moiz 9:26  Olipop 30:16 Marijuana 45:00 The Mommy Blogger Formula   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited  Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik:  Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Glossier’s new website might be a win for Shopify, but what’s going on with its terrible redesign?    This week, Nik and Moiz are breaking down what’s happening to the new Glossier site hosted by Shopify, what the implications of Facebook forcing businesses to conduct transactions through Facebook Shops means for retailers, and why the magic workout mirror on the wall, Tonal, fell off a revenue cliff.    Plus, is Leap Retail a worthy investment? And what exactly is Nik’s beef with Pinterest?    0:00 Olive Oil Drama 8:02 Bonobos and Walmart 17:32 Facebook’s Announcements 28:39 Other Channels Worth Playing With 34:26 Leap Retail 39:26 Tonal  46:45 Glossier’s New Site 53:31 Retailers are the Richest People   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik:   Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz:   Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Who’s running an offshore recruiting scam on Nik? And how do you prevent from being duped?   This week, the guys weigh the risks and benefits of offshore hiring and talk about the hard lessons they’ve learned when it comes to outsourcing work.   Then, Nik and Moiz dive into the vitamin brand that’s trying to sell their business for $900 million, discuss the company holding its clients’ SMS lists hostage, and debate how Klaviyo IPOing will pan out.    Stay tuned for a lightning round, including the company vowing to clean that dirty retainer that’s been hiding underneath your bed for the last fifteen years.   0:00 Intro 1:50 Offshoring Employees 25:15 Sunday Naturals 31:26 Attentive’s Hostage Situation 40:19 Klaviyo Going Public 52:15 Lightning Round   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first two months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

On this week’s pod, the guys are shitting themselves over the stupidity of terrible e-commerce design. And they’re stark raving mad over the fact that Jessica Alba won’t send them the right amount of diapers to clean up the mess they’ve made.   Nick and Moiz also chat about everything Facebook cost caps (and why Facebook refuses to spend your budget), the ex-con who’s making a killing off of importing Prime energy drinks to the UK, and the beating the Honest Co. stock is taking.   Plus, what do Logan Paul, Priyanka Chopra’s hair care line, and Jessica Alba all have in common? Apparently, they’re peddling products with user design bad enough to make Steve Jobs rise up in anger out of his grave.    0:00 Intro 2:00 Facebook Ads 26:20 Cost Caps vs. Bid Caps 30:42 Prime Energy  37:26 Launching a Hair Care Brand 42:41 Is Honest Co. Shitting the Bed?   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Look. If Nik and Moiz get the chance to mention Ryan Reynolds, they’re gonna do it.   Can you blame them?    What’s the secret sauce to celebrity brand success? Turns out Selena Gomez knows—, and it has a thing or two to do with content, direct involvement, and authenticity. Plus, what happens when a celebrity sells their brand *cough* Mr. Reynolds *cough*?   Then, the boys break down the reasons why luxury beauty brand, Aesop, is crushing it and why typing in a credit expiration date is officially better than scrolling for one.     0:00 What We’ve Been Up To 3:17 Creator Brands 8:05 The Beauty of “Rare Beauty” 15:46 Why Just Having a Celebrity Brand Isn’t Enough 22:26 What Happens When a Celebrity Sells Their Brand? 28:50 The Case for Mr. Beast and Why Celebrity Brands Work 32:17 Why Aesop is Crushing It 49:46 Stripe Annual Letter 1:06:52 Contact Us   This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify.   If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Stripe goes under the microscope, Allbirds stores are discussed and Ryan Reynolds’ smart business model gets a mention in this week’s episode. Nik and Moiz take a close look at Stripe’s latest valuation, why Moiz bought a $2,500 cell phone service, and Blank Street’s $20 million raise. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

How do you level up your brand performance every single day? Ben Yahalom is the DTC strategist helping True Classic dominate apparel. Nik and Moiz get into conversation with Ben on why incremental improvements will help you crush in business, how to find creative breakthroughs, and how to think about advertising spend. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali Follow Ben: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/benyahalom/

How do you get a sitdown with JK Rowling’s people? Moiz’ brother Suleman Ali joins this week’s episode to discuss mobile game creation and why he hates his former co-founder. Nik and Moiz also get into Kuori deodorant’s sales on Shark Tank VS the Today Show, nuggets from Grow LA and Mini Katana’s video content model. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali Follow Suleman: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sulemanali/ Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 02:21 The Best Consumer Brand 09:33 Introducing Suleman 16:05 A Second Business And A Crazy CoFounder 20:54 Meeting JK Rowling 24:38 Grow LA 28:54 The Facebook/Google Ads Ratio 33:06 One Day Click, One Day View 35:24 Guess The Brand 01:08 Why You Should (Or Shouldn’t) Be On Amazon

What happens to your debt when you’re a DTC brand and your bank collapses? Nik and Moiz offer their unique analysis of the Silicon Valley Bank turmoil. They also dig into what went down at SXSW, and discuss alleged insider trading at a major pharmaceutical company. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Is eCommerce fundraising dead? Nik and Moiz get into who’s raising money and the names to watch. They also discuss Warby Parker’s earning report, who the real future winners in eCommerce are going to be, and how to warm up those email lists. You’ll also hear about Jugnoo, the mobility as a service platform and Klaviyo’s new feature. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Want to look amateur? Leave your Facebook ad comments unmonitored. This week Nik and Moiz dig into why Facebook moderation is making this the hardest task on the planet, how Starbucks is leveraging its loyalty programme like an unsecured loan, and what’s going on over at Shopify. Plus you’ll hear why Moiz take a look at Facebook earnings and how much you’re worth to the company. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

This is a special one. Nik and Moiz are joined by their good friend, Mary Berry, CEO and Founder of The Cosmos Labs. Mary was in on the ground floor of manufacturing Moiz’ deodorant brand and has a natural gift for choosing products that are going to fly. She’s also an avid collector of Chanel handbags. Nik and Moiz get into conversation with Mary about why building the right working culture is essential for employee loyalty, how to successfully audit materials and reduce waste, plus why clients who know exactly what they need are her favorites. You’ll also hear why facial care manufacturing provides the best margins and why knowing the price of glycerin is way more important than knowing how much milk costs. This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali